Martyrs day observed at Papadahandi

Nabarangpur: Basant Rath.

Rich tribute was paid to the freedom fighters who laid down their lives while taking part in an anti-British procession during the Quit India movement at Papadahandi in Nabarangpur district, on Sunday.

The Commerce and Transport minister Mr Ramesh Chandra Majhi, was chief guest while Rajya Sabha MP A.V.Swamy, local Loksabha MP Er. Balabhadra Majhi, MLAs Bhujabala Majhi, Manohar Randhari, Subash Gond, Padampur MLA Pradeep Purohit, Nuapada MLA Basant Panda, Zilla Parisad President Motiram Nayak,  freedom fighter Md.Bazi,  Dolo Govinda Pradhan, social worker and Maa Ghara Foundation Trustee Rutupurna Mohanty,  retired Lt. General Dr. Narayan Mohanty, social worker Arya Kumar Gyanendra and other elected representatives attended the meeting and offered their tribute to the freedom fighters.

Commerce and Transport Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi, appreciated the steps of the district administration for the observation of Martyrs day in all the educational institutions and police stations.  This day should be observed in all institutions and clubs of the district which will be a mark of respect for the sacrifice they have made, Majhi said.

Presiding over the meeting Collector Md Sadique Alam said the unforgettable massacre at Papadahandi by the British Government had a wide ranging repercussion in the freedom of undivided Koraput district.  On 24 August 1942, the indiscriminate firing on freedom fighters by the unruly British police, on the bank of Turi river near at  Papadahandi in which 11 people lost their lives at spot and 8 persons died at hospital hundreds arrested and unknown number of people washed away in the flood waters of Turi river for the sake of freedom but till today the history is silent in actual figure.

He further said the Toori river firing should be a distinct place in Indian history the district administration will provide all necessary supports for the research peoples to write on the detail history of bygone era Turi River firing and bring the fact figure of the freedom fighters tangled in the firing.

The family members of the martyrs were felicitated on the occasion. Among others Superintendent of Police Brijesh Kumar Rai, DIPRO Bhujang Bhusan Rao zilla parisad member Somnath Bissoyi, were present.

Freedom Fighter Jagannath Tripathy remembered.

Nabarangpur:

The 7th death anniversary of the Gandhian freedom fighter and Khadi activist Jagannath Tripathy was held here on Saturday at Shastri Bhawan Nabarangpur.  Commerce and Transport Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi, attended the function as chief guest while local MP Balabhadra Majhi, MLA Manohar Randhari, Kondagam Chattisghar MLA Manoj Markam, Managing trustee Maa Ghar foundation Trust Smt. Rutupurna Mohanty, former Rajya Sabha MP Bhagban Majhi, former minister Parama Pujari, former MLA Sadan Nayak, Sub-collector Parakhit Sethi,  Lt.Genral Dr. Narayan Mohanty, President Swadhinata Sangrami Saheed Smruti Sansad, Odisha were guest of honours paid glowing tribute and recalled the freedom struggle history of undivided Koraput district. Advasi Saheed Sanskrutika Smruti Kendra President Muna Tripathy presided over the meeting.

Tripathy had joined the Indian National Congress when he was a student of class six. Inspired by his teacher and former Chief Minister Dr Sadasiva Tripathy and uncle Laxmi Chandra Dash, he launched Satyagraha on January 7, 1941 at Dasarapada of Nabarangpur at the age of 19 years. He created public opinion against the British Government and was arrested and put behind bars for a year. He organised the prisoners and agitated within the Koraput jail.

He remained as a member of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee for long 42 years from 1948 to 1990. He was elected as MLA during the tenure of Harekrishna Mahatab as Chief Minister. In 1961, he was also elected as MLA from Dabugam-Kodinga joint constituency.  He was honoured by former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam on August 9, 2004. 

He also received Mondei Samman at Mondei Lok Mohotsav. A book Tejeswani written by Smt. Jemamani Bissoyi was inaugurated on the occasion. To Mark the occasion of Saheed Divas on 24^th August at Papadahandi Saheed Masal is being lighted by Chief guest Mr. Majhi, with other dignitaries

For the First time Papadahandi Martyrs day will be observed throughout district

Nabarangpur: Basant Rath, Journalist For the first time after 68 years of independence Martyrs day is being observed throughout the district on 24th August beside the Sahid Smruti Divas on the bank of river Toori at Papadahandi,  to commemorate the supreme sacrifices made by the freedom fighter of our district.  On the day Commerce and Transport minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi, will be the chief guest while MPs,  MLAs, ZP President and other VVIPs will grace on the occasion.

 District Collector Md. Sadique Alam, requested all the heads of educational institutions to pay homage to the freedom fighters and Martyrs as a mark of respect for the sacrifice they have made at 9 AM on 24th August in their respective educational institutions. Similarly superintendent of police Brijesh Rai, instructed all the police stations of the district to pay homage to the freedom fighters and martyrs on the day. It will be the real honour to the martyrs who lost their lives during the freedom struggle.

Here it may note that on 24 August 1942, the indiscriminate firing on freedom fighters by the unruly British police, at the banks of Turi river near Papadahandi in which 19 people lost their lives, hundreds arrested and unknown number of people washed away in the flood waters of Turi river for the sake of freedom. The modern historians have truly compared this Papadahandi massacre with the Jallianwalabagh Massacre.

In the meanwhile members of Bhagirathi Patro Smruti Sansad  and Boolo Hota, member of Odisha sahitya acadami who organised seminar on the “Papadahandi Massacre” recently expressed their gratitude for the quick steps taken by the Collector and Supt of police in the district to commemorate the supreme sacrifices made by the freedom fighters of the district.

Seminar on “Lost history last word” of Papadahandi Massacre.

Nabarangpur: Basant Rath,  Journalist
 

A seminar was orgnaised by litterateure Bhagirathi Patro Smruti Sansad on Papadahandi Massacre here recently at Shastri Bhawan Nabarangpur. 

Madhya Pradesh high court Justice Susil Palo was the chief guest while collector Md. Sadique Alam, Superitendent of Police Brijesh Rai, freedom fighter Md.Bazi, district Bar association president N Ahmed were guest of honour present on the occasion. 

Research persons lecturer Dr. Bijaya Mishra, Dr. Hari Prasad Tulo,  with Narayan Panda, described the detailed history of the Quit India Movement in Undivided Koraput district  they truly compared this Papadahandi Massacre with the Jallianwalabagh Massacre. 

The Quit India movement in Odisha developed vehemence towards the later part of August 1942. This revolution took a very remarkable form in the undivided koraput district.  On 24 August 1942, the indiscriminate firing on freedom fighters by the unruly British police, at the banks of Turi river near Papadahandi in which 19 people lost their lives, hundreds arrested and unknown number of people washed away in the flood waters of Turi river for the sake of freedom. The modern historians have truly compared this Papadahandi massacre with the Jallianwalabagh Massacre. 

Speaking on the occasion Collector Md.Sadique Alam, said all necessary steps will be taken to find out the real figure involved in the occurrence  and also the district administration will provide all necessary supports for the research people to write on the detail history of bygone era Turi River firing.  Superintendent of Police Brijesh Rai said it should be in national freedom struggle history.  Justice Palo was felicitated by the sansad.

Justice Palo said Papadahandi firing by the British is a memento event in the history of National freedom movement, and the incident should be in the national history. He further said It will be the real honour to the martyrs who lost their lives during the freedom struggle if it could be placed in national history. Among other Odisha  Sahitya Academi member Boolo Hota, presided over the meeting while Sansada’s secretary Ram Prasad Patro, Sameresh Gantayat were also spoke.

Ramesh Majhi, urged Union Railway minister to sanction two railway projects in south Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government today urged Union Railways ministry to sanction the Jeypore-Malkangiri and Jeypore –Nabarangpur railway projects on a priority basis which will usher socio-economic upliftment of the backward area while proposing to share part of the cost for these projects.

In a letter addressed to Union minister for Railways DV Sadananda Gowda today, Odisha’s Minister for Commerce and Transport, Ramesh Chandra Majhi said; “Odisha has time and again raised demand for sanctioning Jeypore-Malkangiri and Jeypore –Nabarangpur railway projects, but it has not yet been sanctioned probably due to low Rate of Return (RoR)”.

Both these projects are proposed in one of the most backward, Naxal affected tribal regions of the country, Majhi said.

“Considering the socio-economic development that can happen in this area if both these railway projects are taken up, Government of Odisha has in principle agreed to provide support for taking up these two projects”, wrote Majhi.

The Transport minister said the present RoR for Jeypore-Malkangiri railway project is around 12%. If 25% of the construction cost of the this project is borne by the state government, the RoR of this project will be more than 17%, well above the cut off criteria of 14% fixed by the Railways ministry.

“Government of Odisha in principle gives consent to bear 25% of construction cost of this project”, the minister proposed in his letter.

In respect of the Jeypore–Nabarangpur railway project, which has a negative RoR at present, the minister said; “Government of Odisha, in principle, agrees to provide all land free of cost and bear 50% of the construction cost”.

Majhi said even with this support, the RoR of this project may be below 12%.

However, considering the fact that this project is going to bring socio-economic benefit to the Naxal affected, tribal dominated backward area, the minister urged the ministry of Railways to take up this project as a ‘national project’.

Acute Shortage of Plus-II Seats in women’s college Nabarangpur.

Nabarangpur: Basant Rath, ( Bureau Chief)

Uncertainty looms large over thousands of students in this tribal dominated area to find a seat in the colleges of the district. While the government’s planning to enhance the seat capacity and introducing new streams/ subjects of Plus-Two (+2) with the existing infrastructure seems to be ineffective.

The district has remained most backward in the field women literacy with literacy rate standing at mere ten percent. Similarly, women literacy in higher education has fallen to 2 percent. Women education in the district is a major challenge to contemporary system Its high time to Strengthen higher education in the district.

The 21- year old Nabarangpur Women’s college, the only institution of its kind in this tribal-dominated district has 128 seats in plus two, (+2) near about 2000 students are applied for admission into the college. While the college have top infrastructures with class rooms and hostel facility.

Notwithstanding repeated demands from various quarters to the higher education department for increasing their seat capacity and introducing new streams in plus two state government has not shown any eagerness in this regard. Thanks to the Higher Education department inordinate delay in finding a quick solution to enhance seats affecting the future of thousands of girl students of the district.

Meanwhile the state government’s decision to enhance the seat capacity and introduce new courses in various government colleges to accommodate more number of students who are awaiting admission into the colleges expressing hope to the anxious students.

Since the students in Nabarangpur district do not have much options they must get adequate reservation a measure of appeasement may be achieved. The students and their parents urging the government to effectively intervene to find an immediate solution to accommodate more number of students to this year’s admission.